After Inheritance
by silverwingfalcon
Summary: Ismira, daughter of Roran Stronghammer is preparing for the selection where two lucky children from Alagaesia will be chosen to join the ranks of the riders. This is her story.
1. Beginnings

Hey this is my first fan fiction and I have always wanted to know what happened after Paolini's Book Inheritance so here is what I think. S**ince this is my first fan fiction y'all better be nice! **

This is a story on what happened after Eragon defeated the evil king.

In the next fourteen years everything went fairly smoothly. The elves in Du Weldenvarden under the direction of their queen Arya opened up their elven cities to train the next generation of riders. Eragon with Blodhgarm and the others started to restore the dragons to their former glory, training the riders when their dragons reached the maturity to fly the long distance from Ellesmera to the plains beyond. Now the riders were a mixture of all the races of Alagaesia and at yearly intervals eight dragon eggs were taken through the cities of the four races to choose the newest riders. this is a story about a new rider who's name you may know from the end of Inheritance

**Ismira:**

She was stuck in the tree. Blast it! Roger had scoffed and told her that she couldn't climb up to the top branches and she had showed him. But now she thought, she couldn't recall where she had put her foot to climb up and she just realized that the branch that she was on was precariously swaying in the strengthening wind and the clouds above were the deep gray of an oncoming storm certainly not the best place to be holed up on the top branches of one of the tallest pines in Carvahall. She placed her foot gingerly on the branch beneath her trying to get a decent purchase on the slippery bark. slowly she balanced on the slightly tottering limb she let go of the higher branch and stepped forward, Big mistake. she slipped and went cannoning down the tree branches scratching her but slowing her fall. She saw Roger look up just as she fell on top of him successfully breaking her fall but she saw to her dismay as she got up relatively unscathed that Roger hadn't been so lucky she could see his wrist hanging at an odd angle and he yelped in pain as he got up. Papa was going to be mad and even though Roger was a pain she didn't think he deserved a broken wrist for laughing at her.

"Come on." said Ismira "Gertrude should be able to fix that for you." Grabbing Rogers other hand she led him back to the village to Gertrudes house and shop for healing remedies. Gertrude had been an ever present part of Ismira's life because ever since she could walk she was always getting herself into some sort of trouble. Her Papa always said she had more than a bit of her uncles spirit and that included constant knack for mischief and injuring herself. As she walked with Roger up the well known path she recalled doing this herself many times she had broken or sprained something. She was relieved that she had escaped this little escapade with just a bunch of scratches and a few bruises. But even though she was unhurt Papa would still be spitting mad because he would probably have to arrange someone to take Rogers place in the up and coming harvest. Ismira Just hoped that Papa would still let her attend the selection, it was a week away when the two dragon eggs would he paraded through the human cities starting in Ceunon to the north and heading down through Carvahall and down through the rest of the cities through the Empire and Surda. She was finally old enough to attend and she always loved to see the rider and graceful elves that were tasked to guard the two eggs as they went from city to city. She would be able to see them closer this time with all the other children who were of age and were to try being chosen. Her excitement fell flat as she walked into Gertrude's shop with Roger to see her father, with his arms crossed sitting on the chair next to Gertrude. Rats! Gertrude must have seen them coming and sent a messenger to her father assuming she was injured again. Gertrude hurried up to her and checked her various scratches and bruises without a word. After determining that she hadn't broken anything her father spoke up.

"What was it _this _time?" he said with a hint of exasperation. Ismira looked down mumbling "Roger said I couldn't climb the big pine at the edge of the forest. so I did and slipped on the way down." her father was still looking at her with his arms crossed and a frown " I fell on top of Roger that's why he hurt his wrist." she hastily added, explaining why it was Roger with the broken bone and not her. Gertrude who was until this point silent said " it isn't broken but it is badly sprained I will give him a poultice and wrap it up." turning to Roger she said in a stern voice " you are lucky this time young man be sure to keep it wrapped for a week putting a compress of these herbs that I will give you every evening and you should be fine for the harvest. Take this as a lesson not to goad someone on doing something dangerous next time." Though Roger thought Gertrude was being strict Ismira swore she could see a faint smile on the elder healers face as Roger with his eyes lowered mumbled a chastened _yes ma'am. _Now Gertrude turned to her "_You_ shouldn't always be so quick to prove someone wrong young lady even if they laugh at you." Gertrude fell silent letting her words sink in to the two rowdy young'uns heads.

"Now then." Gertrude abruptly said making a shooing motion with her hand " Off with you. That means you too Stronghammer she said to Ismira's father. Don't be too hard on her I remember more than a few times when you and Eragon ended up in here for something or another so shoo and leave an old woman in peace." Even though she was acting abrupt she could see the ghost of a smile on the old healers face as she shooed the three of them out of her house.

Ismira and her father walked home in silence back to her fathers manor and farm which was the biggest house and was situated in the center of Carvahall and even though the farm was unnecessary due to the money given to her father by the Queen Nasuada for his and her uncle's services during the great war against the evil king. Her father still was a farmer at heart and prided himself with a large variety of vegetables that he grew up every year and sold either here in carvahall or down in Theirinsford a couple of hours to the south. Her father never talked about the war and all Ismira knew was that the Queen had given him ownership of the majority of palancar valley and enough money so they wouldn't have to worry. Both her father and uncle were the source of many legends some said that her father with his war hammer in hand had slayed over three hundred men in one of the many battles against the evil king and that her uncle and his mighty dragon had killed the king in an explosion that had been heard across all of Alagaesia. Ismira didn't know what to believe her uncle talked to her upon occasion throught the big hanging mirror that hung in the sitting room of the manor he looked, Ismira thought a little like a cross between a human and an elf but the resemblance to her papa was there, she had only seen Saphira a handful of times and then only a corner of her snout or a great blue eye. She didn't know exactly where her uncle was, only that he was far to the east in the vast plains past the hadarac desert, her father had shown her where on the map of Alagaesia that was hung on the wall of the hallway and it lay in the uncharted part of the country she knew from her papa that the whereabouts was something only known to the riders and a select few, and they guarded the secret so that no single race could solely influence the dragons. This apparently had been decided after the war along with the expansion of Surda to the southmost city on Leona lake. Her father had tutored her on some geography as well as reading, writing, and rudimentary mathematics it was enough to get by but she was by far no scholar. She did like to read though and during the time when the traders came through Carvahall she always sought out the small cart with the heavyset man selling books, she already had more than a few favorites.

As they rounded the corner and the house came into view her father spoke to her. "I expect you to help with the preparations for the selection since you are old enough to try for being chosen." He said gruffly he then turned toward the stable and muttered about tending to Snowfire, his foal and her horse Iceblaze, along with the other four horses and mule for the plow. She noticed that her father was growing more irritable the closer it got to the selection. Ismira pushed the thought aside and walked up the steps and into the house. Her mother was cooking and their maid Lyssa was doing the washing. "You weren't hurt in that escapade were you?" asked her mother not even looking up from her cooking. Ismira smiled her mother had long since grown a patience for her daughters constant shenanigans. Katrina hoped that her daughter would be chosen even though her husband Roran was dreading it, her daughter was too much like her uncle to stay holed up on the farm for the rest of her life, but Ismira didn't know that. Ismira walked out to the pasture in the back and whistled softly. Chas her black mutt came into view as the top of the hill. Chas had been borne to one of the villager's herding dogs and her neighbor had let Ismira have one of the puppies when she was twelve as a gift for helping him with the shearing of the sheep that fall. Chas was her constant companion and she told everything to that dog. She spent a few hours sitting in the fork of a low tree with Chas on her lap just talking to the dog when she heard her brother come back from helping run some errands for Baldor. Her brother Garrow was twelve and was, unlike her very interested in carrying out the family farm, her papa had long since given up on her learning the tricks of the trade and Garrow was the one being groomed for the family business now. She heard her brother go inside and a few minutes later her mother called her in for dinner. Ismira ran inside and just in time too because it was starting to rain. Later that night Ismira slipped into her bed thinking about what might happen in the next few weeks she didn't think that she would be chosen those chosen usually came from one of the larger cities such as Dras-Leona or Belatona not from a place with only twenty or so children old enough to try. On this note she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The week passed by frighteningly fast. Ismira and her friend Hope who was Horst's daughter and would too, be present in the selection this year were helping with the rest of the villagers set up for the selection and a the time they were helping Gertrude grind up some poultices for Hope's older brother Albriech who burnt his hand earlier in the forge. As the were doing this they heard a shouting coming from another one of the villagers riding in from the north.

" Dragon twenty minutes away the selection party are here!"


	2. An Unlikely Selection

Ismira, ran out of the shop with Hope to see the party and rider approach and there they were, the rider who at the distance looked to be a human or elf and was perched on a large topaz dragon that sparkled like a precious gemstone in the noonday sun. the villagers were all gathering in the main square of Carvahall right outside of the Manor she saw her mother and father come outside and join her where they and the rest of the villagers waited in the square for the rider to arrive. There was a general excitement in the air particularly in the children that were trying this year. Soon the rider and dragon were circling above the courtyard and the elves were riding in to the village. Ismira's father and some of the older men being more familiar with dragons gestured for the villagers to clear a place for the great topaz dragon to land. Once the dragon had landed in the middle of the cleared space with a mighty thump Ismira's father stepped forward to address the Rider and elves that all stood in the middle of the square.

"Welcome rider, dragon, and elves to the village of Carvahall I am Roran Stronghammer and we hope you enjoy the hospitality of our village." he touched his fingers to his lips and the twisted them over his sternum in a peculiar gesture that the elves repeated. One of the evles spoke up a hint of a foreign accent in his voice " Stronghammer you may remember me I am the current ambassador for Arya-drottning I am Vanir. We worked together to quell uprisings with your cousin after the war." Roran replied politely "yes I remember you were also there in the battle for Illrea, good to see you again." He nooded to the other elves and the rider. The rider who up until this time had been quiet spoke.

"Hello everyone, my name is Dom and this" he said gesturing to his dragon "is Rina." Ismira gave a small wave to the dragon who fixated on her with a large amber eye and snorted. The rider Dom was of average height but she could see that he was powerfully built with defined muscles in his arms and shoulders from fighting with a sword which at the present time was sheathed in a scabbard at his waist. He has sandy brown hair that gave him a boyish appearance and big green eyes he couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen she thought it was his first time she noted, all the previous years she could remember a rose colored dragon had been the bearer of the eggs.

"now" said Dom with a smile "where are all of the children that will be trying this year, come on up now" he gestured with his hand to where Rina was sitting. Hesitantly, Ismira started forward with Hope and about a dozen other kids. This would be fast, she thought there were less kids than there were last year. "now form a line right…. There." Dom said pointing to where Vanir the elf stood. Dom had dismounted and was striding towards them with a polished wooden chest in each hand " now I want you to come up and touch both of the eggs hold your hand there for just a minute and then do the same for the other, now carefull now no need to rush! Ismira waited with growing impatience as one kid after another put their hand on the two eggs when it was her turn she rushed up to the eggs and tripped knocking the purple colored egg out of Doms hand. She hurried to catch it as they both fell to the ground. Her knees hit the ground and she went sprawling with the purple egg in her hand she felt it vibrate once and then start to crack she held her breath with the rest of the villagers as a triangle shaped crack appeared on the egg anda little purple head poked out of the egg mewling like a kitten. She slowly got up still holding the egg and hatchling carefully in her palm. Dom who up until then had been watching instructed the villagers to move back and for her to place the egg and hatchling on the ground gently. Ismira complied as she watched with an awed wonder as the little dragon kicked itself free of the egg and started toward her "Now pat her on the head" gently instructed Dom. Ismira hesitated for a second and then put her hand on the hatchlings head, it felt warm and soft like lambskin almost all of a sudden she felt a tingling icy sensation on her palm and she jerked back her hand where she has touched the hatchling there lay a silvery mark, the mark of a rider. "now you can pick her up." Said Dom softly. Ismira lowered both palms to the ground and the little hatchling clumsily climbed into them, she slowly raised her hands back up and the dragon hatchling clambered up her arm onto her shoulder. Ismira smiled as the little dragon nipped at a strand of her fiery red hair.

"Now what is your name dear?" Dom asked her she stammered "I-Ismira." Dom smiled "good and what is her name?" he asked gesturing toward the purple dragon perched attentively on her shoulder Ismira replied in a low voice "Amethyst." The little dragon snorted and she strangely felt that she approved the name " She likes it." she told Dom she didn't know how but she knew. "good then, now lets finish up with the rest and the blue egg and everyone cheer for the chosen and her dragon." Dom said to the crowd who gave her a hearty cheer all except for her father who had a sad smile on his face. Roran didn't know how but he just knew it would be her this year, she was too much like her uncle for it not to be. Now Ismira stepped to the side as the rest of the children stepped forward for their try with the sky blue egg and the trying continued. Soon it was Hope's turn she placed her hand on the surface of the egg and nothing happened at first, then a crack appeared on the surface spider webbing through the egg and for the second time in fifteen minutes a dragon hatched. Dom looked extremely surprised, it was unheard of for two eggs to hatch in the same town and in one small as carvahall it was nigh on impossible but he watched as the shy, quiet, dark haired girl touched the sky blue dragon hatchling naming him Xander. The villagers cheered even louder loudest of all was Hope's father Horst and her two brothers Albriech and Baldor.

The selection was now over and now the feast would begin. Usually it was just an honorary feast for the passing of the rider and their entourage. This year it was for the two that had been chosen. Amethyst had moved her position from Ismira's shoulder to the top of her head as she hugged her mother and father who offered words of congratulations. Soon it was time to eat with Dom at the head of the table and Ismira to his right and Hope to his left. As they ate and laughed Ismira thought of how much her life had changed in these few hours and how much it was going to in the coming years.


End file.
